6.04.2009

Dill Fingerling Potatoes


I love potatoes and eat them often, so it's great that they are so versatile. You can bake them, fry them, stuff them, serve them as potato skins, and so much more. I don't think I'll ever get bored with potatoes. I feel pretty much the same way about pasta. The more you can do with a food, the less you feel like you're eating the same thing all the time... which leads me to this recipe.

Along with the broccoli I wrote about yesterday, these potatoes were featured on the Barefoot Contessa "Fast and Fabulous" episode. And no wonder -- because they are both fast and fabulous!

The recipe consists of a mere 5 ingredients: fingerling potatoes, butter, dill, salt, and pepper. That's it!

Simply melt the butter in a dutch oven on the stove, and add the potatoes, dill, salt, and pepper. Cook covered for 20 to 30 minutes over medium-low heat until fork-tender, shaking occasionally so they don't stick or burn. And voila! Done.

I've never cooked potatoes quite that way before. They were sort of baked and sort of sauteed -- and nicely seasoned with the dill, salt, and pepper.

We ate these with the steak and broccoli I've already told you about. It sounds like such a modest dinner: steak, potatoes, and broccoli. But each of those simple ingredients was prepared based on a simple recipe that imparted abundant flavor. These everyday foods don't have to lack excitement. Remember how much some herbs, seasonings, and marinade can do to liven up a meal.


Leftover Tip: Fry 'em up!
Whenever I have already-cooked potatoes leftover, I like to cut them into chunks and saute them in butter over medium to medium-high heat. Once you're sure they're warm all the way through, turn up the heat a little and let the bottom sides crisp up, flip, and crisp again.